Costa Concordia – Latest News

I am saddened that there were no more survivors from those listed as missing on the Costa Concordia, and according to the latest reports 17 are confirmed dead and the remaining 15 people missing are not likely to have survived after 17 days. The actions of Captain Schettino were inexcusable and he deserves whatever punishment the Italian authorities dole out.

Italy reports that the ship will likely be in the waters off the Tuscan coast for ten months or a year as this is a massive undertaking to have it removed. They have still not begun the process of removing the 500,000 gallons of duel due to delays of weather and the ship shifting.

Apparently it is expected to take 28 days to remove 80 percent of the fuel which is stored in 15 tanks. After that, the engine room contains diesel fuel and other lubricants which make up the remainder of the fuels onboard and would need to be removed.

The process to remove the wrecked ship is extensive, not to mention the two month time frame for accepting bids for the project. It would not surprise me if this entire process of removing the wreckage does not take over a year. Franco Gabrielli, the Italian official in charge of the operation, has indicated that the wrecked ship will be visible from the coast for the entire summer tourism season. This is especially unfortunate for the residents of the island of Giglio, since their port is closed and no boats are allowed within a mile of the wrecked Costa Concordia. This affects local industry for fishermen, diving and boat excursions.

The relaxed and unconcerned behavior of the “Captain” was remarkable. Those of us in the US follow all the news about this terrible tragedy. As does all the world. But he seemed totally uninterested in the matter that he caused to happen. I am begining to wonder if he had been playing how close can I go for years. . . and finally he found out.